Noise and Air Quality - the City of Lompoc!

Issue Paper onNoise and Air QualityCity of Lompoc General Plan UpdatePrepared by:Rincon Consultants, Inc.1530 Monterey Street, Suite DSan Luis Obispo, California 93401July 2008

City of Lompoc General Plan UpdateIssue Paper on Noise and Air Quality IssuesSETTINGNoiseBackground. Noise has been defined as unwanted sound and is known to have severaladverse effects on people. From these known effects of noise, criteria have been established tohelp protect the public health and safety and prevent disruption of certain human activities.These criteria are based on known impacts of noise on people such as hearing loss, speechinterference, sleep interference, physiological responses and annoyance.Sound is technically described in terms of the loudness (amplitude) of the sound and frequency(pitch) of the sound. The standard unit of measurement of the loudness of sound is the Decibel(dB). Since the human ear is not equally sensitive to sound at all frequencies, the A-weighteddecibel scale (dBA) relates noise to human sensitivity by discriminating against frequencies in amanner similar to the human ear.Decibels are based on the logarithmic scale, which compresses the wide range in soundpressure levels to a more usable range of numbers just as the Richter scale measuresearthquakes. In terms of human response to noise, a sound 10 dBA higher than another isjudged to be twice as loud; a sound 20 dBA higher four times as loud, and so forth. Everydaysounds normally range from 30 dB (very quiet) to 100 dB (very loud). In general, a 3 dB changein community noise levels is noticeable, while 1-2 dB changes are generally not perceived.In addition to the actual instantaneous measurement of sound levels, the duration of sound isimportant since sounds that occur over a long period of time are more likely to be an annoyanceor cause direct physical damage or environmental stress. Several rating scales have beendeveloped to account for the known effects of noise on people. Based on these effects, theobservation has been made that the potential for noise to impact people is dependent on thetotal acoustical energy content of the noise. A number of noise scales have been developed toaccount for this factor, including the Equivalent Noise Level (Leq), the Day Night Noise Level(LDN) and the Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL).Intermittent or occasional noise such as that associated with stationary noise sources is not ofsufficient volume to exceed community noise standards that are based on a time averagedscale such as the LDN scale. To account for intermittent noise, the Percent Noise Level (L%)scale is used. The Percent Noise Level is the level exceeded a percentage of the time duringthe measurement period. Noise Ordinances are typically specified in terms of the percent noiselevels. Ordinances are designed to protect people from noise sources such as music,machinery and vehicular traffic on private property.Local Issues. Existing noise sources in the region include roadway noise, agriculturalproduction, the Union Pacific Railroad, Lompoc Airport, and mining operations. Noise issuesare currently primarily from vehicle noise from roadways. Noise generated by roadways isdependant on the speed and volume of vehicles that use the roadways.1City of Lompoc

City of Lompoc General Plan UpdateIssue Paper on Noise and Air Quality IssuesOther noise sources that contribute to the ambient level include agricultural production activities;noise from the Lompoc Airport or the Vandenberg Airport, depending on their approach andtake-off flight patterns, as well as the distance between the sensitive uses and the airports; localdiatomaceous earth mining operations; as well as the Union Pacific Railroad that bisects theCity in generally an east to west direction. Noise generated by the railroad is limited to a fewtrips per week that occur on this section of track since it primarily serves as a cargo rail thatdelivers to and from Vandenberg Air Force Base to the northwest of the City. The actual timingand volume of trains that use the tracks is confidential; therefore, actual noise levels cannot beestimated with any certainty. Sound walls or other barriers between the tracks and futureresidential development near the railroad can help abate noise issues.Table 1City Noise StandardsLAND USE CATEGORIESCNELCATEGORIES USES INTERIOR 1 EXTERIORResidentialSingle Family, Duplex, Multiple Family,Mobile Home45 60Commercial & Retail, Restaurant 55 65Industrial Motel 45 60CommunityFacilityProfessional Offices, Movie Theater, AuditoriumManufacturing, Utilities, Warehousing,AgricultureHospital, School, Nursing Home, Church,Library, Civic Offices, Parks45 6565 7545 65Open Space Passive Outdoor Recreation -- 60Air QualityBackground. Lompoc is part of the South Central Coast Air Basin (SCCAB), which includes allof San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. The climate of the Santa Barbarafoothills and of the SCCAB is strongly influenced by its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and thelocation of the semi-permanent high pressure cell in the northeastern Pacific. With aMediterranean-type climate, the City is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool winterswith occasional rainy periods.Cool, humid marine air causes frequent fog and low clouds along the coast, generally during thenight and morning hours in the late spring and early summer months. The region is subject to adiurnal cycle in which daily onshore winds from the west and northwest are replaced by mildoffshore breezes flowing from warm inland valleys during night and early morning hours. Thisalternating cycle can create a situation where suspended pollutants are swept offshore at night,2City of Lompoc

City of Lompoc General Plan UpdateIssue Paper on Noise and Air Quality Issuesand then carried back onshore the following day. Dispersion of pollutants is further degradedwhen the wind velocity for both day and nighttime breezes is low.The region is also subject to seasonal “Santa Ana” winds. These are typically hot, dry northerlywinds which blow offshore at 15-20 mph, but can reach speeds of over 60 mph. Two types oftemperature inversions (warmer air on top of cooler air) are created in the area: subsidence andradiational. The subsidence inversion is a regional effect created by the Pacific high in which airis heated as it is compressed when it flows from the high pressure area to the low pressureareas inland. This type of inversion generally forms at about 1,000 to 2,000 feet and can occurthroughout the year, but it is most evident during the summer months. Surface inversions areformed by the more rapid cooling of air near the ground during the night, especially duringwinter. This type of inversion is typically lower (0-500 feet at Vandenberg AFB, for example)and is generally accompanied by stable air. Both types of inversions limit the dispersal of airpollutants within the regional airshed, with the more stable the air (low wind speeds, uniformtemperatures), the lower the amount of pollutant dispersion.The APCD is required to monitor air pollutant levels to assure that applicable air qualitystandards are met, and if they are not met, to develop strategies to meet the standards.Depending on whether the standards are met or exceeded, the air basin is classified as being in“attainment” or as “non-attainment”.Local Issues. Santa Barbara County is considered in attainment of the federal eight-hour ozonestandard, but does not meet the state one-hour ozone standard or the standard for particulatematter less than ten microns in diameter (PM 10 ). The County is in attainment for all otherstandards. Table 2 summarizes the annual air quality data for the local airshed.Table 2Ambient Air Quality Data at the S H Street Monitoring StationPollutant 2004 2005 2006Ozone, ppm – Worst Hour 0.084 0.064 0.056Number of days of State exceedances (>0.09 ppm) 0 0 0Number of days of Federal exceedances (>0.12 ppm) 0 0 0Particulate Matter 50 μg/m 3 ) 1 1 0Number of samples of Federal exceedances (>150 μg/m 3 ) 0 0 0Nitrogen Dioxide (ppm), Worst Hour 0.036 0.035 0.037Number of days of State exceedances (>0.25 ppm) 0 0 0Source: CARB 2004-2006Man-made sources of PM 10 include agricultural operations, industrial processes, combustion offossil fuels, construction and demolition operations, and entrainment of road dust into theatmosphere. Natural sources include wind blown dust, wildfire smoke, and sea spray salt. Dueto the County’s non-attainment status for state PM 10 standards, future development within theCity is required to implement the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD)best management practices intended to reduce PM 10 emissions.3City of Lompoc

City of Lompoc General Plan UpdateIssue Paper on Noise and Air Quality IssuesGlobal Climate Change. Global climate change (GCC) refers to a change in the averageweather of the earth which can be measured by wind patterns, storms, precipitation, andtemperature. The impact of anthropogenic activities on GCC is evident in the scientificcorrelation between rising global temperatures, atmospheric concentrations of CO 2 and othergreenhouse gases (GHGs), and the industrial revolution 1 .The greenhouse effect is a natural process by which some of the radiant heat from the sun iscaptured in the lower atmosphere of the earth. The gases that help capture the heat are calledGHGs. While GHGs are not normally considered air pollutants, all have been identified asforcing the earth’s atmosphere and oceans to warm above naturally occurring temperatures.Some GHGs occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities.Naturally occurring GHGs include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide andozone. Certain human activities add to the levels of most of these naturally occurring gases.Of all the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, water vapor is the most abundant and variable.The main source of water vapor is evaporation from the oceans (approximately 85%). Othersources include evaporation from other water bodies, sublimation (change from solid to gas)from ice and snow, and transpiration from plant leaves. The primary human-related source ofwater vapor comes from fuel combustion in motor vehicles. However, this is believed tocontribute a negligible amount (less than 1%) to atmospheric concentrations of water vapor. Asa result, the control and reduction of water vapor emissions is not within reach of humanactions, and is therefore excluded from regulation under California law.The second most prevalent GHG is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Natural sources of CO 2 include:decomposition of dead organic matter; respiration of bacteria, plants, animals, and fungus;evaporation from oceans; and volcanic outgassing. However, in contrast to water vapor, CO 2 isprimarily generated by anthropogenic (human caused) sources, including burning coal, oil,natural gas and wood.After CO 2, the GHGs over which humans have the greatest control are methane (CH 4 ) andnitrous oxide (N 2 O). CH 4 is a flammable gas and is the main component of natural gas. Naturalsources of CH 4 include anaerobic decay of organic matter and natural gas fields; anthropogenicsources include landfills, fermentation of manure, and cattle. N 2 O is produced by microbialprocesses in soils and water, including those reactions which occur in fertilizer containingnitrogen. Anthropogenic sources of N 2 O include agricultural soil management, animal manuremanagement, sewage treatment, and mobile and stationary combustion of fossil fuel. Reducingemissions from CO 2, CH 4 and N 2 O is the focus of state GHG regulations.In June 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order S-3-05, acknowledging theenvironmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change. The Executive Orderestablished the following climate change emission reduction targets for California:1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis.Cambridge University Press, 2001.4City of Lompoc

City of Lompoc General Plan UpdateIssue Paper on Noise and Air Quality Issues• By 2010, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 2000 levels.• By 2020, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels.• By 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emission to 80 percent below 1990 levels.In response to the Executive Order, Cal/EPA established the Climate Action Team to developstrategies for reducing climate change emissions in the State. In March 2006, Cal/EPA releaseda document called the Climate Action Team Report to Governor Schwarzenegger andLegislature. The Report provides suggested strategies for reducing climate change emissionsthat would be implemented by State agencies over the next 2 years. It is a guidance documentto be used by the identified State agencies in developing statewide programs for reducingclimate change emissions.The Executive Order also directed the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) tocoordinate efforts among State agencies to meet these targets. As part of this directive, in 2006the California State Legislature adopted AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of2006, which the Governor signed on September 27, 2006. AB 32 represents the firstenforceable statewide program to limit GHG emissions from all major industries with penaltiesfor noncompliance. It requires Cal/EPA to lead the evaluation of California’s impacts on climatechange and identify mitigation strategies to reduce emissions and adaptive measures tominimize adverse effects of climate change. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) hasbeen assigned to carry out and develop the programs and requirements necessary to achievethe goals of AB 32. By January 2008, a statewide cap for 2020 emissions based on 1990 levelsmust be adopted. The following year (January 2009), CARB must adopt mandatory reportingrules for major sources of GHGs and also a plan indicating how reductions in significant GHGsources will be achieved through regulations, market mechanisms, and other actions.Relationship to the General PlanNoiseNoise is of special concern to the State with respect to General Plans. It is one of the seventopics required to be addressed in a specific Element under state planning law. The State Officeof Planning and Research Noise Element Guidelines require that major noise sources beidentified and quantified through the preparation of generalized noise contours for current andprojected conditions. This is intended to guide the land use pattern in order to minimize thecommunity’s exposure to current noise issues, as well as shield the community from noisecreated by future development. Land use changes identified in the Housing Element and LandUse Element can result in noise increases directly (e.g., from zoning of additional industrialnoise sources) and indirectly (e.g., from vehicle trips associated with future development). Inaddition, transportation improvements identified in the Circulation Element (e.g., road wideningsor extensions) could bring traffic noise sources closer to existing or planned receptors. TheNoise Element acts in concert with these elements to ensure that City noise standards are metthroughout the General Plan buildout period. It should be noted that the first phase of theGeneral Plan Update process includes updating the Housing, Land Use, and CirculationElements, and the subsequent phase includes updating the Noise Element. The EnvironmentalImpact Report for the first phase element will identify noise impacts associated with updated5City of Lompoc

City of Lompoc General Plan UpdateIssue Paper on Noise and Air Quality Issuesbuildout estimates, and will potentially include recommended Noise Element policy changes asmitigation. Such policy changes would be implemented as part of the second phase of theprocess.Air QualityThere is no requirement for an air quality element in the General Plan, but it is among the morecommon optional elements employed. In the existing Lompoc General Plan air quality is dealtwith as a part of the Resource Conservation Element, which states:“Consideration of air quality as a resource in the General Plan is provided sinceseveral of the mandatory elements have effects on air quality and emissionsources:o The Land Use Element governs the location and intensity of stationarycommercial and industrial emission sources;o The Circulation Element addresses the location and extent ofhighways used by automobiles and mobile sources;o The Conservation Element requires discussion of the conservation ofnatural resources, ando The Open Space Element addresses use of open space lands for theenhancement of air quality.”The existing General Plan includes goals and policies that relate to air quality, includingmonitoring and improvement of the air quality in the Lompoc Valley, and minimizing emissionsfrom vehicles, including planes associated with the Lompoc Airport.As with noise issues, air quality policies will be addressed as part of the Resource ConservationElement update in the second phase of the General Plan Update program, following updates tothe Housing, Land Use, and Circulation Elements. The Environmental Impact Report for thefirst phase elements will identify air quality impacts associated with updated buildout estimates,and will potentially include recommended Resource Conservation Element policy changes asmitigation. Such policy changes would be implemented as part of the second phase of theprocess.POLICY CONSIDERATIONS• Noise Policy ConsiderationsDevelopment patterns should be strategically planned to reduce noise impacts onproposed sensitive residential land uses. Structural setbacks, noise barriers, and/orstructural features will help reduce the noise levels in areas near roadways with highprojected future traffic levels. Additionally, residences can be oriented such that thesensitive uses (bedrooms, balconies, and offices) are located away from the noisesources.6City of Lompoc

City of Lompoc General Plan UpdateIssue Paper on Noise and Air Quality IssuesAssorted agricultural operations are located outside the City Limits. Agriculturaloperations produce noise associated with the following equipment: wind machines,diesel engines, aerial application aircrafts (crop dusters), and tractors. The County’sRight-to- Farm Ordinance states that no agricultural activity, operation, or facility shall bedeemed or become a nuisance due to any changed condition in the locality, after theagricultural use has been in operation for at least three years. Land use buffers andother noise screening techniques can greatly reduce noise nuisances on adjacentreceptors.• Air Quality Policy ConsiderationsThe General Plan update can encourage development patterns that promote the use ofalternative modes of transportation, thereby incrementally reducing air contaminantemissions, including greenhouse gas emissions. The APCD recommends mixed usedevelopments that combine residential, employment, and retail uses. Sidewalks, safestreet and parking lot crossings, shade trees, off-street breezeways, alleys, and showerand locker facilities for employee bicyclists are also recommended by APCD toencourage alternative transportation modes. Building entrances should favorpedestrians rather than cars. Future development should provide on-site services thatreduce the need for off-site travel. These services may include but are not limited to:childcare facilities, telecommunication centers, neighborhood retail stores, postalmachines, and automatic teller machines.The APCD also recommends energy conservation measures to reduce natural gas andelectricity consumption. These measures include:• Photovoltaic and wind generators;• Duct system within the building thermal envelope;• Passive cooling strategies;• High efficiency, motion controlled outdoor lighting;• Natural lighting in buildings;• Building siting and orientation, and landscaping to reduce energy use;• Summer shading and wind protection measures;• Use of concrete or other non-polluting materials for parking lots instead ofasphalt;• Installation of energy efficient appliances and lighting;• Installation of mechanical air conditioners and refrigeration units that use nonozonedepleting chemicals; and• Installation of sidewalks, bike paths, and covered bus stops.Additional APCD-recommended energy conservation measures include the use of greenbuilding materials and green building practices. These include:• At least 50% of exterior of local masonry; plaster or cementitious siding; recycled,salvaged or certified sustainably harvested wood; recycled roofing material orcombination cement-fiber roofing; 30-year rated life on minimum 50% of roof;7City of Lompoc

City of Lompoc General Plan UpdateIssue Paper on Noise and Air Quality Issues• At least 50% interior floor of tile, stone, finished concrete; cork or naturallinoleum, carpet and pad (tacked) of recycled content or natural content, minimalfinishes;• All insulation to be 100% recycled content, wet-blown, and/or cellulose with ULfire retardant;• The use of light colored water based paint and roofing materials;• At least 80% of interior and exterior paints and finishes to be water-based or lowVOC and adhesives to be solvent-free;• Prepare a construction waste management plan to encourage material re-useand minimize waste; and• During project grading and construction reduce NOx emissions from constructionequipment by adhering to APCD recommendations.The California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) has released aresource guide to addressing GHG emissions from projects, including potentialmeasures for reducing GHG emissions. The Santa Barbara County APCD recommendsthat projects implement all feasible mitigation measures to reduce the emissions ofGHGs (Scope and Content of Air Quality Sections in Environmental Documents, July2007). Implementation of measures to reduce construction, energy use, and mobilesource emissions could be considered as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsand address global climate change at a programmatic level.8City of Lompoc

City of Lompoc General Plan UpdateIssue Paper on Noise and Air Quality IssuesREFERENCESCalifornia Air Resources Board 2004-2006, CARB 2004-2006.California Department of Finance, 2006.City of Buellton General Plan, 2003.City of Lompoc General Plan & EIR, 1997.County of Santa Barbara Air Pollution Control District Clean Air Plan.http://www.sbcapcd.org/cap.htmIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Climate Change 2001: The ScientificBasis. Cambridge University Press, 2001.State of California General Plan Guidelines.http://www.opr.ca.gov/planning/publications/General_Plan_Guidelines_2003.pdf9City of Lompoc